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Tag: Indian Premier League

  • IPL’s surging IPL valuation slides back as gambling ban and media merger collide

    IPL’s surging IPL valuation slides back as gambling ban and media merger collide

    MUMBAI: The Indian Premier League, the commercial behemoth that has redefined cricket economics, is experiencing something unprecedented: contraction. After years of relentless upward momentum, the IPL’s valuation has plummeted to Rs 76,100 crore in 2025—a staggering Rs 16,400 crore collapse over two years. The league that once seemed destined to become sport’s most valuable franchise now faces an altogether different reality: the era of exponential growth has ended.

    Two seismic forces have conspired to puncture cricket’s golden goose. First, India’s crackdown on real-money gaming has eviscerated the advertising market, stripping an estimated Rs 1,500–2,000 crore from annual sponsorship revenues. Second, the 2024 merger of Disney Star and Viacom18 into JioStar eliminated the competitive media rights bidding war that had inflated valuations for over a decade. Together, these shocks have shattered the financial architecture upon which the IPL’s boom was built.

    Fantasy and gaming platforms were the IPL’s most profligate sponsors, lavishing Rs 1,500–2,000 crore annually across league, franchise, and broadcaster deals. Dream11’s Rs 358 crore national jersey sponsorship exemplified this era: premium pricing underpinned by what amounted to speculative betting cash. Then the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act descended like a guillotine. The gaming sponsors evaporated overnight, leaving franchises scrambling to replace lost revenue with comparatively cheaper deals from fast-moving consumer goods, banking, and electric vehicle makers.

    The vacuum revealed an uncomfortable truth: gaming sponsorship wasn’t additional revenue flowing into cricket’s ecosystem. It was unsustainable froth, inflating numbers on spreadsheets rather than building durable commercial value. When it disappeared, so did the illusion of inexhaustible growth.

    For years, competing broadcasters—Star Sports, Sony, Amazon, others—bid ferociously for IPL rights, each convinced that exclusive access to India’s cricket audience justified premium prices. In 2023, with two strong bidders and whispers of global tech giants entering the fray, valuations soared to Rs 92,500 crore. But the promised tech invasion never materialised. Netflix, Amazon, and Apple pivoted away from sports streaming. Disney and Viacom18 merged, eliminating one bidder entirely. The competitive tension that had driven rights auctions simply evaporated.

    D&P Advisory managing partner Santosh N summarised the revised reality: media rights will no longer deliver the 40–50 per cent appreciation once confidently projected. The IPL’s “fundamentals remain strong,” he insisted, but “the pricing environment will remain under pressure.” Translation: viewers will watch, advertising inventory will sell, but sponsors will pay less.

    The Women’s Premier League, still in its formative years, has already buckled. Its ecosystem value fell 5.6 per cent to Rs 1,275 crore in a single year. Unlike the IPL’s entrenched commercial machinery, the WPL lacks pricing resilience. Dream11’s sponsorship withdrawal and the gaming ban have left the BCCI scrambling to secure title sponsors before the next season—a predicament that would have been unthinkable two years ago.

    Amidst the financial carnage, audience enthusiasm remains robust. The 2025 IPL season crossed a billion cumulative viewers, with digital viewership surpassing television for the first time. JioStar recorded 1.19 billion unique viewers and 514 billion minutes watched. Stadium attendance remained strong; travel searches spiked across Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Lucknow during matches. In short, Indians remain obsessed with cricket. They’re simply less willing—or able—to pay premium prices for the privilege.

    The road forward demands what the boom years never required: structural innovation. Subscription bundles, regional packages, commerce integrations, and renewed competitive tension from global streaming platforms must replace the twin engines of gaming sponsorship and auction-driven bidding wars. 

    If they don’t materialise, the IPL faces not terminal decline but permanent diminishment: a mature, cash-generative business rather than the exponential growth machine it once promised to be. For a league built on the premise that tomorrow would always dwarf today, that’s a bitter recalibration indeed.
     

  • “We have invested more than $500 million dollars in sport over the past 15 years, and this is apart from rights acquisition costs” – Sanjog Gupta

    “We have invested more than $500 million dollars in sport over the past 15 years, and this is apart from rights acquisition costs” – Sanjog Gupta

    Sanjog Gupta, the man steering live experiences and the sports juggernaut at JioStar, finds himself squarely in the spotlight. Fresh off helming the eighteenth edition of the IPL — a relentless, high-octane ride that shattered records in viewership, fan engagement, and tech wizardry — Gupta is already plotting the next innings.
    In a crackling fireside chat with MPA’s Vivek Couto at APOS in Bali this morning, the sharp-suited sports boss laid out JioStar’s grand vision: why giving away the IPL for free wasn’t madness but method, how technology is rewriting the fan playbook, and why the network isn’t just broadcasting sport — it’s reinventing it.

    Here’s the man behind the masterstroke, unfiltered and in full flow.

    On IPL 2025’s impact on Indian sports
    India’s growing influence in sport is nothing but a reflection of India’s growing significance on the global stage, driven by a strong consumption-oriented economy. This IPL, not only have we reached a billion viewers across platforms, we have also managed to make this IPL the most monetised edition of the event and also the most monetised sporting event ever in India across advertising and subscription revenue.

     On what Star and JioStar have invested in sport
    Over the last decade and a half, Star and now JioStar has actually been the biggest private investor in Indian sport and in Indian media and entertainment. Largely with the mission to build what we believe can be a media and entertainment economy, but more than that, a media consumption economy, which is much larger in scale to anything that could have been imagined. While numbers around acquisition prices for sports rights tend to be thrown around a lot, what at times gets missed is the sheer investment that a network such as ours has made to grow those properties by way of marketing, by way of production, by way of investment in technology and that over the last decade and a half exceeds 500 million dollars. That is outside of what we paid for the acquisition of rights.
     
    On sport fuelling the wider JioStar network
    We believe sports serves as a recruitment funnel to bring in viewers and fans at scale, who then can be taken on a journey on a platform which could entail a live event, a Hindi entertainment show, or it could entail one of our new originals which is marketed on the back of a big sporting event and a recent example of that is the returning season of Criminal Justice which benefited significantly by launching in the last week of IPL.”

    On the freemium IPL strategy and changing viewer habits
    Our mission wasn’t to incrementally change the landscape, it was to completely shift the way consumers perceive paying for content and also over a period of time, attribute value to the entertainment needs they have. The subscribers are on the platform and not just on IPL and it started with an interesting hybrid subscription strategy, which allowed everyone to come onto the platform free. So it’s not pay at the gate, we’re not trying to keep people out and having them pay before they can consume. The model is based on real life example of how you shop, which is you go into a mall or a store, you sample enough and more of what you may want to look at and then choose to pay for deeper engagement, which in that case is purchase of an item.

    On whether cricket will remain the network’s sole focus
    We don’t want to be a single content or be known for a single content genre and that applies to sport as well. We have looked to grow English Premier League significantly over the last five years. In fact, over the last five years the viewership for English Premier League across our platforms has grown almost three and a half X (3.5x). Largely on the back of localisation efforts where we’ve taken Premier League deeper into the Indian sports ecosystem than ever before by producing it in languages meant for regions which have affinity for football. At the other end of the spectrum, you have a sport like kabaddi which is a sport that goes back thousands of years and is a part of India’s history but also it’s a part of India’s recreation where kids grow up playing it as a game. We’ve professionalized it and continue to invest in it to build it as India’s second most favorite sport. It already is the second biggest league in the country but but our objective with it is for the sport itself to grow and become a year-long proposition instead of being a two to three-month league.

    On building hyper-personalised sports journeys
    Our premise around sport is don’t look to serve many fans as one but look to serve almost each fan as many and what that means is every fan at different points of time and on different devices and in different modes of consumption will consume your content differently. So can you create infinite hyper-personalized journeys for each and every fan instead of serving one streaming experience to all and that’s the core tenet of the platform.”

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  • IPL 2025 suspended indefinitely

    IPL 2025 suspended indefinitely

    MUMBAI: The news could not have come at a worse time for JioStar.  Just as the Indian Premier League 2025 – the IPL – world’s richest cricket league was beginning to gather momentum during the playoffs and attracting a slew of new advertisers, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) a short while ago announced that it was calling it off – indefinitely. This is courtesy the conflict between India and Pakistan which has escalated and attained war like proportions.

    The BCCI members had long consultations this morning before finally taking the decision to indefinitely suspend it. Most of the cricketers playing in the league had expressed their reservations about their safety in the midst of the Indo-Pak tensions.

    JioStar leased a statement regarding the goverment’s decision stating, We, at JioStar, whole heartedly support the BCCI’s decision to suspend TATA IPL 2025 and stand firmly committed to prioritize national interest over all other considerations. At this time, we must stand united with our country, support the government and our armed forces, and extend solidarity & support to the civilians affected. We will work with the BCCI to bring back the tournament at an appropriate time. JioStar will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the transition is managed in a seamless manner and everyone involved in the tournament broadcast returns home safely.

    It may be recalled that last evening’s match between between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala on was cancelled after 10.1 overs of play in the first half following air raid alerts in neighbouring Indian cities of Jammu and Pathankot.

    How this will impact and how BCCI will work with the official broadcaster JioStar and streaming partner JioHotstar will become clearer in the coming days. Right now the focus is on the developing conflict between the two nations.

  • Bagging the spotlight Zouk hits the IPL runway with Kriti Sanon

    Bagging the spotlight Zouk hits the IPL runway with Kriti Sanon

    MUMBAI: In a season packed with sixes and sponsorships, one fashion-forward brand has knocked it out of the park with a handbag. Zouk, the proudly Indian and 100 per cent vegan lifestyle label, has stormed the Indian Premier League 2025 ad roster with its new campaign ‘A Bagful of You’, fronted by actor Kriti Sanon.

    This isn’t just a brand break; it’s a cultural statement. Featuring on Connected TV via JioStar during prime-time matches, Zouk is one of the rare women-led disruptors to enter a space traditionally monopolised by FMCG giants, fintech players, and frothy beverage brands. But as the game evolves, so does its audience and Zouk’s play is as smart as it is stylish.

    According to YUMI’s 2024 data, women make up nearly half of IPL’s urban and rural audience, a stat that may surprise the armchair analyst but not the brand. Zouk is speaking directly to this influential cohort with a message that blends heritage, confidence, and conscious fashion.

    By showing up in the middle of India’s biggest cultural moment, Zouk isn’t just flaunting bags, it’s flaunting purpose. The brand’s vibrant campaign isn’t shy about taking up space, much like the women it celebrates. Every product in Zouk’s line reflects its mission: functional fashion rooted in Indian aesthetics, with zero compromise on ethics or style.

    Commenting on the landmark moment Zouk founder Disha Singh said, “This is more than just an ad placement, it’s a statement not just for Zouk, but for every homegrown, women-led brand with big dreams. To be on the IPL stage, a platform that unites India is a celebration of how far we’ve come and where we’re headed. We’re proud to lead this change, representing the fearless spirit of the modern Indian woman who is confident, expressive, and ready to be seen and heard. Our campaign with Kriti Sanon, ‘A Bagful of You,’ is rooted in self-expression and everyday pride, and IPL allows us to tell that story to millions of Indians in a moment they truly care about.”

    Echoing the sentiment Zouk co-founder Pradeep Krishnakumar added, “IPL has long been dominated by legacy, male-focused advertisers but the landscape is shifting. We saw a clear opportunity to break the mold and engage a new, diverse generation of consumers who value purpose and identity. Our presence in IPL 2025 isn’t just about visibility; it’s about making a bold cultural statement.”

    With the leather-free label now batting on the biggest field in Indian advertising, it’s clear: Zouk isn’t just in the game, it’s changing how the game is played.

  • TAM Sports: IPL advertising shows strong growth as brands bet big on cricket

    TAM Sports: IPL advertising shows strong growth as brands bet big on cricket

    MUMBAI: The Indian Premier League’s 2025 season has kicked off with a veritable feast for advertisers, showing remarkably robust growth in the tournament’s commercial appeal. The first 31 matches witnessed an 8 per cent jump in advertising volumes compared to the same period last year, according to the latest report from TAM Sports.

    The lucrative cricketing carnival has attracted 16 per cent more advertisers than in 2024, with the total count rising from 65+ to 75+. Even more impressive is the 23 per cent surge in brand presence, leaping from 110+ to 140+ brands jostling for eyeballs during the matches.

    Gaming platforms have bowled over the competition, with e-commerce gaming emerging as the top category, commanding an 18 per cent share of advertising volumes—nearly double its 9 per cent slice from last year. Food products claimed the second spot with 11 per cent, while mouth fresheners, last year’s champion, slipped to third place with 10 per cent of the advertising pie.

    Parle Products continues its dominant innings at the crease, leading the advertiser rankings with an 11 per cent share. Dream11.com’s parent company, Sporta Technologies, came in a close second with 10 per cent, while My11circle muscled its way into third place with 6 per cent of total ad volumes.

    The advertising landscape has witnessed notable churn, with 23 new categories entering the fray while an equal number have been clean bowled out of this year’s tournament. Among the 96 debutant brands, Parle Platina Hide & Seek and Rajshree Silver Coated Elaichi emerged as the top newcomers.

    Food and beverage brands continue to have a ravenous appetite for cricket eyeballs, accounting for three of the top five advertising categories. Meanwhile, traditional categories like biscuits, properties/real estates, and chocolates have been relegated to the pavilion this season.
     

    EXLUSIVEHIND+ENGLISHEXCLUSIVE REGIONALTOTALCOMMONBRANDS

    The tournament’s broad reach across both national and regional language channels has created distinct advertising patterns. While Amul Butter topped exclusive brands on Hindi and English channels, Reliance Trends claimed the spotlight on regional language broadcasts. Vimal Elaichi showed true all-round form, dominating the list of brands advertising across all language platforms.

    With 28 channels broadcasting IPL matches this season—up from 24 last year—advertisers clearly believe the tournament remains cricket’s most lucrative commercial pitch.

  • Fast friends Bigbasket and RCB team up for a 10-minute delivery innings

    Fast friends Bigbasket and RCB team up for a 10-minute delivery innings

    MUMBAI: 10 minutes, andre? Bigbasket. That’s the punchy hook powering a fresh partnership between India’s favourite grocer and Bengaluru’s beloved IPL franchise. In a pitch-perfect move, Bigbasket, a Tata enterprise, has teamed up with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as the official quick commerce partner for the 2025 Indian Premier League season.

    This isn’t just about bats and bags of groceries, it’s a collaboration that blends Bengaluru’s cultural vibe with the shared values of speed, trust, and local pride. Bigbasket’s lightning-fast 10-minute delivery promise and RCB’s electrifying fanbase are coming together in a campaign that feels as local as filter coffee on a rainy Bengaluru morning.

    To mark the association, bigbasket launched a hyperlocal digital campaign starring none other than Virat Kohli, joined by his RCB squad, engaging in a spirited Kannada wordplay around “andre” (meaning “means”). Whether it’s “Chilling, andre?” (Cubbon Park) or “10 minutes, andre?” (Bigbasket), the ad culminates with comedian Danish Sait, in his Mr. Nags avatar, dressed as a bigbasket delivery partner, stealing the show with a cheeky wink to city life. The campaign has already racked up 9.5 million organic views on Instagram, with cricket legends AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, and Dinesh Karthik also joining the digital huddle.

    Speaking about this, Bigbasket co-founder & CEO Hari Menon said, “RCB isn’t just a team, it’s a symbol of Bengaluru’s energy, diversity, and resilience. At bigbasket, we see ourselves as a reflection of the same spirit, with our focus on speed, trust, and customer delight. This partnership is a natural extension of our commitment to serving Bengaluru, both on and off the pitch.”

    This IPL season, fans can expect a strong digital presence from bigbasket across RCB’s platforms, complete with behind-the-scenes content, interactive experiences, and on-ground activations like a “Selfie Kiosk” at stadiums, allowing fans to virtually click pics with their cricketing idols.

    Backed by a 10-minute delivery service across 25 plus cities, with over 5,000 plus daily essentials on offer, bigbasket’s quick commerce model is batting for convenience and local love. The RCB association amplifies that brand promise bringing fans a seamless blend of cricket, culture, and consumer delight, all in the time it takes to order a quick snack during an over break.

  • IPL18 ad-splosion – brands in a frenzy for cricket’s hottest ticket: TAM data, 13 matches

    IPL18 ad-splosion – brands in a frenzy for cricket’s hottest ticket: TAM data, 13 matches

    MUMBAI: The Indian Premier League (IPL) is not just a sporting event; it’s an advertising goldmine. New data (22 March to 1 April 2025) from TAM Sports indicates a massive surge in ad volumes, with IPL 18 experiencing a 112 per cent increase for the first 13 matches compared to IPL 17 (22-31 March 2024 ). The scramble for screen time is intense.

    top 5 brands ipl

    IPL 18 is attracting a wave of new players. The number of competing categories has risen by 13 per cent, and the number of advertisers has jumped by an impressive 31 per cent. Brands are clearly banking on the IPL’s broad appeal to connect with India’s passionate cricket audience.

    Mouth freshener brands are currently leading the pack, commanding an 11 per cent share of ad volumes. Ecom-gaming and biscuits are also major contenders, with 10 per cent and nine per cent shares respectively.

    The top five categories collectively account for over 40 per cent of all ad volumes, highlighting the fierce competition at the top. While ecom-gaming and cellular phones maintain a strong presence, the food and beverage sector is making a significant push, with two of the top five categories originating from it.
    top 5 brands iplParle Products holds the top position among advertisers, securing nine per cent of the ad share. The top five advertisers together account for 28 per cent of the total ad volumes.

    IPL 18 is also marked by significant change. 23 new categories and 83 new brands have entered the advertising arena. Emerging categories include cars, ecom-auto rental services, and fashion outlets. In contrast, categories such as range of food products and chocolates are absent this season.

    New brands vying for attention include Platina Hide & Seek and Campa Energy Drink. The advertising landscape is dynamic, with brands fiercely competing for visibility.
     

    top categories IPL

    As the IPL action unfolds on the field, an equally compelling drama is playing out in the advertising world. The stakes are high, and the competition is relentless.

  • TAM Sports: Ad volumes surge as IPL 2025 hits a six with brands

    TAM Sports: Ad volumes surge as IPL 2025 hits a six with brands

    MUMBAI: The latest advertising fiesta around Indian Premier League cricket has bowled over expectations, with commercial volumes jumping sevem per cent in the first five matches of IPL 2025 compared to last year’s opening spell.

    The IPL advertising carnival, which kicked off on 22 March, has attracted a whopping 29 per cent more advertisers (55+ in IPL18 vs 40+ in IPL17) than the previous season, according to data from TAM Sports. The number of product categories hawking their wares has also climbed by 12 per cent (45+ vs 40+), suggesting marketers are stumping up more cash for India’s premier sporting extravaganza.

    Mouth fresheners have emerged as the surprise package this season, gobbling up 11 per cent of total advertising time and displacing last year’s champion, the gaming platforms. These minty merchants, led by Vishnu Packaging’s Vimal Elaichi, clearly believe cricket fans need fresh breath while biting their nails during nail-biting finishes.

     

    Top categories

    The digital gaming sector hasn’t thrown in the towel, however, claiming the second spot with a hefty 10 per cent share of advertising volumes. Dream11.com’s parent Sporta Technologies remains a formidable presence, though it has slipped from last year’s top advertiser position.

    Biscuit baron Parle has crumbled the competition to claim the advertiser’s crown, contributing 8 per cent of total ad volumes. Its Platina Hide & Seek brand made its IPL debut as the most prominent among 67 new brands that have joined the advertising innings this season.

    Tech giant Apple has also dialled up its presence, with its iPhone 16E campaign helping the company secure third place among top advertisers.

    The food and beverages sector continues to have a healthy appetite for cricket audiences, with two of the top five advertising categories coming from this segment. Meanwhile, automobile makers have driven into the top five for the first time, with the ‘Cars’ category parking itself in fifth position with a six  per cent share.

    As the cricketing carnival continues, brands are clearly betting big on the IPL’s ability to deliver eyeballs. With 28 channels now broadcasting the cricket extravaganza—up from 24 last year—advertisers have more platforms than ever to bowl over potential customers during the six-week sporting spectacle.

  • beIN ropes in Planetcast for sports broadcasting tech across Asia

    beIN ropes in Planetcast for sports broadcasting tech across Asia

    MUMBAI: beIN Asia Pacific has drafted Planetcast Media Services to power its sporting ambitions, striking a deal that will see the technology provider manage 14 HD sports channels across southeast Asia and Australia.
    The Singapore-based broadcaster, part of beIN Media group, has enlisted Planetcast’s cloud-first NexC platform to handle everything from playout to disaster recovery—ensuring sports fans don’t miss a second of action when their team is on the pitch, track or court.

    At the heart of this digital partnership sit two key technologies: Cloud.X Turbo, a nimble playout solution that promises ultra-low latency (tech speak for “you’ll see the goal almost before the goalkeeper does”), and Recaster, which delivers broadcast-quality streams over the public internet without breaking a sweat.

    “beIN Sports is a leader in live sports media innovation,” said beIN Asia Pacific vice-president of media technology  Sabil Salim who clearly believes his company has netted a winner with this partnership. “Planetcast’s proven expertise in managing major sports like the Indian Premier League (IPL), its leading-edge Cloud.X Turbo solution, and its robust NexC cloud platform provide the scalability, reliability, and seamless integration we need to elevate sports broadcasting across the region.”

    Planetcast  chief executive Sanjay Duda returned the compliment, suggesting the tie-up would give beIN “a competitive edge” in a broadcasting landscape that changes faster than football managers after a bad season.

    The deal comes as beIN looks to flex its muscles across 12 countries in the region, where it holds rights to premium sporting contests including Formula 1, UEFA Champions League and the Australian Open.
    Planetcast, meanwhile, will use the upcoming NAB Show in Las Vegas (5-9 April) to showcase its NexC platform—presumably hoping to attract more suitors with its cloud-native charms and AI-powered content automation. 

    Game on.

  • Dream11 hits It out of the park with star-studded IPL 2025 face-off

    Dream11 hits It out of the park with star-studded IPL 2025 face-off

    MUMBAI: Get ready for a blockbuster cricket battle as Dream11, the world’s largest fantasy sports platform unveils its electrifying Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign, ‘Aapki Team Mein Kaun?’. This high-energy campaign sees movie superstars Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor go head-to-head, picking their dream teams of India’s biggest cricketers for an unforgettable face-off.

    Aamir11 and Ranbir11 aren’t just fantasy teams—they’re a clash of legends. The campaign ropes in cricketing stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and R. Ashwin, turning up the heat with a mix of banter, rivalry, and sporting brilliance. And just when you think it’s all about cricket, Arbaaz Khan and Jackie Shroff make surprise appearances, adding their signature charm and humour to the mix.

    “At Dream11, we’re turning fans from mere spectators into active participants,” said Dream Sports chief marketing officer Vikrant Mudaliar. “This campaign taps into the passion of cricket while bridging the worlds of sports and entertainment. ‘Aapki Team Mein Kaun?’ challenges fans to pick their own winning fantasy teams, making every IPL moment more thrilling.”

    The campaign kicks off with an action-packed film, directed by the acclaimed Nitesh Tiwari and produced by EarthSky Pictures, with creative backing from Tilt Brand Solutions and ZeroFifty. The excitement continues with eight ad films airing throughout the IPL season across Star Sports, JioHotstar, and digital platforms.

    Since 2019, Dream11 has been a key player in the IPL ecosystem and is now the Principal Sponsor for five IPL teams Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the latest addition, Lucknow Super Giants. The platform is also an Official Partner for four more IPL teams, further solidifying its dominance in fantasy sports. As cricket’s biggest festival kicks off, Dream11 is ensuring the game isn’t just watched, it’s played, debated, and lived. So, the only question that remains is: Aapki Team Mein Kaun?